Happy Birthday To My Dog, Hunter

I was having a hard time coming up with a subject for today’s blog post. I went through an hour or two of brainstorming and nothing piqued my interest. And then I remembered that, duh, today is my dog’s birthday, and what better way to celebrate than to write about him? After all, who doesn’t like to look at pictures of dogs?

My parents surprised my sisters and I with Hunter in 2005. They went “shopping” and came home with a little Italian Greyhound puppy wrapped up in a blanket. I called my best friend right away and cried some serious happy tears. He then promptly peed on the floor.

I remember our name-brainstorming session very well and that we eventually narrowed it down to two names, Hunter and Toby. Now, I’m not sure where those names came from but I do know that one of those names was a better fit than the other. We ended up going with the other: Hunter.

Italian Greyhounds weigh about 10-15 pounds when fully grown and they behave like cats in that they sleep all day. We have four dog beds for Hunter lying around the house, all placed strategically so that the sun will shine on them. Hunter doesn’t usually get out of bed (my bed) until about 2 in the afternoon. During his “awake” time, he’s napping or cuddling with my family on the couch or basking in the sun. He is very lazy. Does this sound like a Hunter to you?

It also doesn’t help that his tongue sticks out of the side of his mouth a lot of the time. He has some teeth problems, as a lot of Italian Greyhounds do, and had to get two of his canine teeth, plus a couple others, removed. This is why he struggles to keep his tongue in his mouth. Again, you can see why the name Hunter is not fitting.

Despite his ill-fitting name and the fact that he barks a lot, he is my most favorite ever and the best snuggle buddy. He is a huge part of my life. I can’t wait to get a Pup Cup with him at Dairy Queen tonight. Happy Birthday, Hunter!